Pinehurst (No.6)

The first four courses at Pinehurst were famously laid out by Donald Ross, and No. 5 didn’t fall far from the tree thanks to Ellis Maples, an affiliate of Ross. No. 6 marked a distinct change of direction for the resort during 1975, when it hired George Fazio and nephew Tom to construct the sixth course at America’s home of golf.

The result was something that embraced both the ongoing trends in golf design, as well as the signature Carolina sand hills visage. The course required distance from the tee to tighter fairways, as well as many more water hazards than seen at the other Pinehurst entries. Consider holes like the par five 10th, which is rather reachable in two at just 500 yards. Tigers will need to consider that the fairway tightens to a ribbon between two ponds, and play their drives accordingly.

Tom Fazio returned 40 years later to soften the angles of his original greens and allow for quicker putting surfaces in the process. He also led the planting of wiregrass throughout as part of the resort’s wider return to a more natural-looking aesthetic.

Pinehurst must have liked the Fazios’ work at No. 6; after all, they invited Tom back to design the No. 8 course.